20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
Light candles to pray in the rain

On the night of July 10, 2022, the Thai Buddhist delegation together with monks, Buddhists, Khmer people and tourists lit 3.300 candles with the two words "Vietnam" and the image of "Lotus - Vietnam's national flower" at Som Rong Pagoda, praying for world peace, people's prosperity and happiness. The ceremony took place in the rain, but everyone performed all the rituals and prayed together. Buddha statue at Som Rong pagoda, Ward 5, Soc Trang province, Vietnam is 63 m long, 22.5 m high and weighs 490 tons. It is currently one of the largest reclining Buddhas in Vietnam. Like other Khmer pagoda, Som Rong is closely associated with the cultural, daily and spiritual life of the local community. Every day, many tourists come here to visit and take pictures, a well-known spiritual tourism spot in Vietnam in general, Soc Trang province in particular.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 07.2022
Date Uploaded: 11.2022
Photo Location: Soc Trang, Vietnam
Copyright: © Huynh Phuong